46 BLACK VULTURE. 



effluvium far and wide ; and although 25 days liave now gone by, and the 

 flesh has become offensive, not a single Vulture appears to have observed 

 it, though hundreds have passed over it, and some very near it, in search 

 of their daily food. Although the Vultures did not discover this dainty 

 mess, the dogs in the vicinity, who appeared to have better olfactory 

 nerves, frequently visited the place, and gave us much trouble in the pro- 

 secution of our experiments. 



2d, I now suggested an experiment which would enable us to test the 

 inquiry whether the Vulture would be attracted to an object by the sight 

 alone. A coarse painting on canvass was made, representing a sheep 

 skinned and cut open. This proved very amusing ; — no sooner was this 

 picture placed on the ground, than the Vultures observed it, alighted 

 near, walked over it, and some of them commenced tugging at the paint- 

 ing. They seemed much disappointed and surprised, and after having 

 satisfied their curiosity, flew away. This experiment was repeated more 

 than fifty times, with the same result. The painting was then placed 

 within fifteen feet of the place where the offal was deposited ; they came 

 as usual, walked around it, but in no instance evinced the slightest symp- 

 toms of their having scented the offal which was so near him. 



Sd, The most offensive portions of the offal were now placed on the 

 earth ; these were covered over by a thin canvass cloth ; on this were 

 strewed several pieces of fresh beef The Vultures came, ate the flesh 

 that was in sight, and although they were standing on a quantity beneath 

 them, and although their bills were frequently within the eighth of an 

 inch of this putrid matter, they did not discover it. We made a small 

 rent in the canvass, and they at once discovered the flesh, and began to 

 devour it. We drove them away, replaced the canvass with a piece that 

 was entire ; again they commenced eating the fresh pieces exliibited to 

 their view, without discovering the hidden food they were trampling 

 upon. 



4>th, The medical gentlemen who were present made a number of expe- 

 riments to test the absurdity of a story, widely circulated in the United 

 States, through the newspapers, that the eye of the Vulture, when perfo- 

 rated, and the sight extinguished, would in a few minutes be restored, in 

 consequence of his placing his head under his wing, the down of which 

 was said to renew his sight. The eyes were perforated ; I need not add, 

 that although they were refilled, and had the appearance of rotundity, yet 

 the bird became blind, and that it was beyond the power of the healing 



